Hounds of the Past, Ironic Fate, the Crows Come
by Guardian55
Summary: Due to a most lethal yet failed assassination attempt, Caitlyn is thankfully alive but out of action. Unfortunately, the identity of the master behind the attack - who's emblem is that of a crow - is unknown to Vi. However, a young man may be able to help the enforcer get answers. The only issue is that this young man despises Piltover's Finest; especially Vi. A gradual "Vi x OC".
1. The Stormy Starting Point

**C****hapter One: "The Stormy Starting Point"**

"_As of today, you all hereby resolve to protect the innocent, pay heed to all details, stick close to honor, deliver justice, discover the truth, never wander off of the right path onto the wrong one, and dedicate your lives to the ongoing peace of our city as well as the peoples who call it home. In the name of Piltover, forever ad always from this day onwards, you are a weapon as well as a shield. You are a guardian of Piltover. You are an enforcer of its balance, a protector of its continued splendor."_** – Piltovian Police Academy, Graduating Ceremony Oaths Declared by Sheriff Caitlyn**

* * *

"Another bombing threat at the Herald Bridge… Two explosions on the Walnut Highway… A volley of gunshots at the Diamond Square Marketplace… We can't keep letting this go on, Caitlyn! We can't let the public think our grasp on the Loose Cannon is loosening! All of this waiting, this planning, this doing nothing, has got to stop!"

"Vi, do you not think that I completely agree with you? Do you not think that I've been putting my all into keeping Piltover safe? Most of all, do you not remember that I once organized a city wide manhunt for she who has been running around blowing up the property, treasures, and even… citizens of our city?"

"Well, yeah, of course, I totally remember that city wide manhunt and maybe that's what we need here and now! It'd be better than just sitting here in the headquarters fretting, worrying, twiddling our thumbs together, while hearing about all of these threats, bombings, and other stuff Jinx is up to! Like we did right off, we need to get another all people up and at arms in progress! The Loose Cannon can't escape all of Piltover like she did before-"

"Please, lower your voice and take your seat, Vi. You shouting as well as hitting things is doing nothing good for anyone, especially for me. Do you know that I've had a headache since, well, um… gee, I can't even remember anymore. Still, we can't organize another city wide manhunt. Not with its citizens too scared to even leave their homes-"

"Cait! Wow, that's what I'm talking about right there! What's happened to you?! What's happened to this city?! Are we really becoming that hopeless?! You mean to tell me that you and me can't just walk out into that street below our office here like we did when Jinx first showed her stupid smirking face and rile Piltover up to swarm her?!"

"Again, please stop shouting, Vi! I'm right in front of you, not a thousand miles away! And, no, us getting the citizens to join in on the manhunt then had been a rare coincidence that night that ended in… failure, regardless. Even though she herself gave us a chance to do so by showing us she was going to target the city's vault, we failed to catch the Loose Cannon. Instead, she brought the building down on top of you, didn't take any gold, and left us all to see that we had walked right into-"

"Okay, okay, Cait! Stop talking! I know how that night went! I know how I didn't… I know that things didn't go exactly according to plan then. Yet, that was then! A month ago! This is now! Haven't we licked our wounds enough?! Haven't we allowed this reign of terror to go for more than long enough?! We're losing our city, Cait! The people are beginning to wonder if we're even trying to do anything in the slightest-"

"VI! STOP! Just stop, please, and let me have a moment of quiet… Look, I know that you know that I know your pain. I know the city needs us more than ever but… do you really understand how difficult things are becoming? Truly, it's just you and me that stand a chance against the Loose Cannon here. So, instead of blindly running in, we need to bide our time and await an appropriate opportunity to strike back. We cannot fail against Jinx again like we did a month ago or, seriously, we'll lose everything, Vi. We'll lose our only remaining support, sponsors, fellows-"

"Listen to you, Cait… Talking like we're trapped in a corner by that sneering, giggling, blue ponytailed freak with her rocket launcher and stupid gatling gun! I thought you, we, never backed down from a mission or criminal or whatever! Yet, here you are lecturing me about how defeat is just on our doorstep! You know what? Screw this! Screw your biding your time!"

"VI! Don't talk like that! Don't twist my words into what we both know isn't at all what I'm saying-"

"We're going to lose Piltover if we don't wait for the right moment! That's what you're telling me, Cait! Yeah, well, we've waited for over a month and look at where that's gotten us! Nowhere! If anything, it's dug our pits of troubles deeper than ever and if we wait any longer for your supposed opportune time to strike… we won't be able to get out of those pits because PILTOVER WILL BE GONE!"

"Stop shouting! Stop being stupid! Stop – Wait, where are you going, Vi?! Answer me!"

"I'm going where I please, thanks! I'm going out to check on what's left of our city – the city we swore to protect on our oaths – and get as far away from you in the meantime! See, I CARE about Piltover, its people, its future! I got out and DO things while you sit here all hot and bothered!"

"You DO things?! What?! You break necks, smash faces, bust down walls, run into a fight headfirst at which I have to cover your ass as well as pull it back out when things turn bad! Alright, fine, GO! Get out of here! Go and get some fresh air! Get as far away from me as you can! That's a splendid idea! We could both use some peace and quiet, couldn't we?! Yes, we could!"

"Just shut up, Cait! You don't know what you're talking about! All we've ever done since Jinx showed up is cower in our city! Well, unlike you, I think it can still be saved… and not by sitting around hoping for a solution to fall in my lap! With or without my fists, I'm going to go out and get our solution! I'm going to go inspire the people!"

**"GET OUT! LEAVE ALREADY! DO WHAT YOU THINK IS OH SO FANTASTIC! PROVE ME WRONG AND THEN YOU CAN BE SHERIFF! HOORAY, EARLY RETIREMENT FOR ME!"**

For the northeastern City of Progress of Runeterra, "Piltover", the day in question was a Saturday. As for the date, it was September 12th with the weather being a tad in between what was casually classified as gloomy as well as mediocre. Truly, as the many clocks throughout the quiet city followed the example of Diamond Square's deeply tolling clock tower by showing it was late into the night – around 10:17pm, to be precise – the skies overhead just couldn't decide whether or not to show the full moon along with stars or just continue hiding it all away from observers behind drizzling rainclouds.

Yet, considering the fretful situation Piltover found itself in nowadays, with someone as vexing as the Loose Cannon freely roaming its streets without restriction, who was really interested in seeing the luminous heavens above? Was seeing the moon along with stars really worth getting wet over? Not only that but, most important, was it worth getting blown up, shot up, or just downright humiliated by supposedly funny Jinx, Pow-Pow, as well as Fishbones? No. No, it wasn't.

And so, for the past month since she'd outdone the entire community at the vault, every Piltovian had taken to staying in their homes… to avoid any potential mishaps with the Loose Cannon who had come from nowhere for no reason as well as made the City of Progress grind to a complete halt in everything.

Truth be told now, the presently mucky, stormy sky kind of reflected the common attitude of Piltover today. Yeah, both the city – with its hurting economy, wrecked buildings, frightened populace – and the heavens – being dark, thundery, clammy – had obviously seen better days… and it was too bad those kind of days had vanished and would not be back for who knew how long.

It was crazy to believe but in a matter of thirty days since she'd shown up Piltover's police force plus finest leaders, Jinx had went on to take over not only a majority of the ruined south section of Piltover – the slums, so to speak – but had displayed to everyone that days were not simply filled with fun, certainty, as well as safety. No, with the Loose Cannon having claimed a good portion of the south side of the city for herself as a kind of playground, the Sheriff and Enforcer of Piltover along with their allies were becoming increasingly confused on what to do about the crisis on their hands.

Yes, as nuts as it was, Piltover's finest – Caitlyn, Vi, Jayce, even Ezreal, along with others – were not sure on how to proceed against Jinx's craziness. Where so many problems threatening the peace had simply caved in at a firm punch from Vi, from a well-aimed shot from Caitlyn, from an enticing smirk from Jayce, and from a suggestion of Ezreal's genius, this particular Jinx just didn't want to… go quietly. No, at everyone's expense and well-being, she just wanted to keep on having her so called "fun" where she demolished, tore apart, along with detonated plenty of things with her instruments of destruction which she happily called "Pow-Pow" and "Fishbones".

Again, thirty days had transpired since Jinx had humiliated Caitlyn's as well as Vi's attempts at catching her with a city wide manhunt. During those past thirty days, plenty of changes – not at all the good kind – had come to be throughout Piltover.

Having taken the most of the attacks from the blue ponytailed terrorist, the southern slums of the community had been evacuated so not to have citizens be hurt as the Loose Cannon had most of her fun in creating chaos there. In turn, the one traditional bridge entitled "Herald" which connected the northern city's side with the southern was reinforced with everything leftover from Caitlyn's police forces.

When that operation had first begun, when the Herald Bridge or one way to the city's north and south had been secured, it seemed Piltover might actually have some control over its suffering. Yet, to purposefully mock her already wounded if not shaken adversaries some more, the protected bridge didn't discourage the maniacally blue haired terrorist from occasionally invading the north to wreak havoc upon whomever thought they were safe. And every time she did, every time she had hit then ran during the recent month, it had cruelly drove an unseen yet deadly wedge between everyone until, now, no one of Piltover seemed to… trust one another like they used to.

Well, seeing as their previously glorious City of Progress was a constant victim of abuse, seeing as their safety was always in question, seeing as how their supposed heroes didn't seem to be having any control over Jinx's rampages, who could blame the Piltovian citizens for becoming shrewd, cautious, isolate from each other.

Once before, Piltover's streets were filled with bustling, excited, friendly peoples whom had come from everywhere across the continent to see its towering skyscrapers, impressive techmaturgy works, along with historical sights. Today though, like it had been for the last month, those same streets were empty, still, lacking in energy, dotted with wrecked rubble, and were drenched if not flooding with rainwater from the recent thunderstorm that had passed by.

Sadly, due to the coming of a lone crazed girl who talked to her weapons for fun when finished blowing up all that she could, there were many things missing or that had been stripped from the City of Progress these days. Where there had been happiness, there was none. Where there had been an abundance of safety, there was danger instead at every corner. Where there had been a nearly perfect balance, there was only chaos.

Yet, what was most unfortunate about this entire event was that there was uncertainty in place of certainty nowadays and due to that, it was becoming a harder thing for the Piltovians to continue to believe in something like teamwork, friendship, as well as looking out for each other. And on this particular night where the thunder boomed, the lightning flashed, and a constant drizzle depressingly fell over the hurting city, this attitude of struggling to hold onto friends – on what should be done to help Piltover – had especially just been discussed/shouted out between who were usually unquestionably the best of friends; "Sheriff Caitlyn" and "Enforcer Vi" themselves.

For years, since they'd decided to pair up to combat crime in whatever shape or form it came in, Caitlyn as well as Vi had grown closer than the usual police partners did. Yes, the two women had grown to not merely be guardians over their dear yet suffering city. They both considered each other more than best friends for they practically were, with very good reason, sisters. They were and had been sisters in arms, in heroics, in miraculous feats against every challenge that had come at them for what honestly felt like forever.

Nevertheless, with the arrival of Jinx, experiencing the same as their weakened home city, the loyal Piltovian sheriff along with enforcer had felt just as much pain, stress, and distress for the past month.

Seeing as they really were caring leaders that hadn't repeatedly failed anyone until this point, since they many responsibilities to many parties of folk, maybe Caitlyn and Vi had suffered more than most everyone… and now, both had obviously unleashed their bottled up emotions, anger, plus contempt upon each other. Then, when finished yelling her mind at her disheveled partner, with a mighty slam of the front door that sounded dangerously close to flying off of its hinges afterwards, Vi had stormed out of the police headquarters to begin sloshing through the dark, mucky streets dimly illuminated by famous "Heimerdinger's" star rods/posts.

What was the hotly pink haired, steel fisted, fuming woman's destination? Well, Jinx was lucky tonight. The enforcer of Piltover wasn't looking for fight with the Loose Cannon but was actually heading towards where she knew she could get a good drink and maybe even a good brawl with some other smart mouth. Fast like, be it a face or surface, she needed to find something… to PUNCH, to DEMOLISH, to SMASH!

In the meantime, trying her best to not appear to be too shaken up about the harsh exchange that had just occurred between herself and her closest friend if not ally during this most difficult time, Caitlyn slouched down into her leather desk armchair behind her.

Next, with much controlled sniffling, a rub of her watery eyes, a brushing back of her ruffled brunette hair plus setting down her symbolic top hat on the desk in front of her, the sheriff put her weary face into her gloved hands. Then, realizing she had her gloves on in the first place, wanting her skin to feel some fresh air rather than be pointlessly wearing her uniform all of the time, she wrenched them plus her boots off to angrily throw them onto the floor!

"Hmf!" The sheriff uncharacteristically sniffed in an attempt to feel better, getting up out of her chair to walk around to maybe make herself feel a bit more in control of her out of control environment, "Vi, how could you – Why would you say that I – Ooh, sometimes you just know what to say or do to make me want to – to – to – AUGH!"

Knowing she was going to burst out screaming at the top of her lungs one way or the other, knowing she had to vent, to free herself from the fiery anger within her trembling heart, to unleash everything to think clearly on what could be done for her city, Caitlyn took a kind of sick but great joy in noticing the small assortment of pillows lying upon her personal sofa nearby. Immediately, going into a dive, the suffering sheriff shoved her reddened expression into the velvety cushions and yelled as loud, as fierce, as bestial as she could without end.

Of course, an individual as important as a sheriff behaving like this – like a demented child throwing a tantrum, like Jinx even would if thwarted – was downright ridiculous. Yet, Caitlyn just… didn't… care…. about… anything… ANYMORE!

Well, as sheriff naturally, unlike how Vi had just described her before stomping out of the headquarters to who knew where, Caitlyn did indeed care about plenty in life. Yet, she just couldn't keep things contained inside her conflicted self anymore. She had to do something, to weep, to fume, to break down some walls if not stress, anything, in order to possibly discover the smallest shred of relief or optimism she'd lost a while ago… since the Loose Cannon had put everything into question.

And so, keeping her screams of emotional anguish muffled so as to not attract more of the unsure attention her fellow police were already giving her outside of her office, ignoring the growingly uncomfortable sensations of aching pain building in her gorgeous cheeks, throat, along with cranium, Caitlyn continued to release what she needed to release! Finally, with a last sob after what felt like an eternity of screeching into her sofa's pillows, she just wearily laid her disturbed yet still pretty self out on the sofa. Outside in the meantime, like her tears, the rain began to pour harder. Like her huffs plus whimpers, the thunder answered back with a mighty boom or low grumble on occasion.

As Caitlyn cried to herself at the moment, it seemed… it seemed like the world was doing so alongside her, wasn't it? And for obvious reasons, both the sheriff along with world – the world of Piltover – had good reason to be indulging in the waterworks.

"Ugh, Vi, you can be such a handful sometimes. You know that, right?" Caitlyn sniffed to herself in a whimper, actually feeling a bit clear headed like wanted since she'd ceased venting, "Of course you do. As can I, I know. This isn't our first fight like this and I admit that I have my flaws too… I don't know how to knock in some heads, break down some walls, and create a fast solution like you do at moments, do I? I take things slow while you take them fast. I'm the tortoise, heh… and you're the hare."

Sitting up on her sofa with a renewing feeling of wisdom, courage, even control over everything around her, the sheriff of Piltover swept aside the hair hanging in her tired looking expression. Standing up with as much as dignity as she could, she then made her way around her desk to the large window behind it where, with a rubbing of her reddened eyes, she took to gazing over the star rod lit street below.

Indeed, since they'd combined their strengths back in the day, this huge but meaningless feud Caitlyn had just had with Vi over how to handle Jinx hadn't been the first time they'd been so torn on how to handle a villain. Throughout the time they'd worked together in outwitting, humiliating, along with putting criminals behind bars, the sheriff and enforcer of Piltover had had their rough spots with certain foes whom had proven to be a bit more elusive, mysterious, cunning, just a different kind of adversary that had pushed them to their limits.

Nevertheless, in the end, whether through Vi's hextech gauntlets or Caitlyn's precise rifle and both of their wits put together, no criminal of Piltover had ever bested the law. No criminal had escaped justice for forever.

And truly, even though they had raged at each other during this thundering night, neither Vi nor Caitlyn had really meant what they had said towards one another. This was just another rough patch where the pair of them needed to get some fresh air alone so they could compose themselves, regain their honor, and realize just how much they as well as Piltover needed each other. For if the Enforcer and Sheriff of Piltover really did allow Jinx to drive a wedge between them, not only did that spell out defeat for them but for all of the remainder of the City of Progress.

And such a thing as defeat wasn't at all acceptable in either Vi's nor Caitlyn's books. To the very end, until their dying breaths if need be, the sisters of the law would not give up on their city, their people, nor each other. In that fact, as she watched outside her office window, the sheriff had truly believed for longer than she could remember.

"Vi, we're just under a lot of stress, right? Yeah, we're not really angry at each other. We're just worried, confused, distressed." Caitlyn whispered to herself next while looking over the street outside the window of her private quarters, guessing that Vi had headed north to where she usually did for a drink or entertainment at any bar she could find first, "Soon enough, in a drunken stupor, you'll kick down my door, we'll both say we're sorry, you'll collapse on my sofa in a heap, and then, welllllllll…"

At this, with a humored smile actually creeping across her attractive face framed in her brown hair, the sheriff took a seat at her desk while purposefully grasping a nearby black marker, "Then I won't be able to resist it. Like old times, I'll just have to doodle a moustache or two on your drunken face overnight. Then you'll wake up next morning, find out, take pride in my handiwork but warn me I'm next, and we'll both set out to begin figuring out how to put this certain Jinx of ours… in her proper place; behind bars."

Quite heartened by what she knew was going to happen like always after having a heated fight with Vi – knowing that by the next morning they would be best friends getting back on track of their mission to save their home city from terrorism – Caitlyn resumed laying herself out on her comfortable sofa rather than be at her desk.

Lying there on the velvet brown mattress adorned with a most comfortable blanket of Freljordian yak pelt, the sheriff would await Vi's drunk plus loud return which would involve the enforcer with over large hextech hands smashing down the door, trying to open the awkward conversation with a terribly slurred joke, before she would try to apologize for her idiocy from earlier while passing out cold on the floor moments later.

Seriously, after having experienced it done dozens of times beforehand, that would be the exact way the all-knowing sheriff as well as stubborn enforcer of Piltover would reunite after their fierce verbal exchange. All Caitlyn needed to do in the meantime was wait, think, maybe even grab a few winks, while her troubled self-recovered from her own previous case of raging.

Actually, wait. If Vi was going to enjoy one too many drinks at some rough tavern, why couldn't Caitlyn grab herself at least one? Seeing as how she'd been put through so much since the arrival of the Loose Cannon, didn't she deserve some comfort, some pampering? Yeah, a bit of adult drink couldn't hurt. In this case, with her head along with throat achingly throbbing, it would even do the sheriff quite a bit of good to put down a bit of alcohol and have some things… suppressed from her conscious.

So, with a bit of a forced spring in her step to make herself feel a bit more optimistic than she really was feeling, Caitlyn ventured back to her desk where she opened the bottom drawer, and retrieved the familiar half full bottle of "Golden Nectar White Wine" she'd been given by the Yordles at the academy of "Science and Progress" three months ago as a gift for her presence there.

In turn, snatching a tiny glass from a nearby shelf that held many an item – evidence from other missions, pictures of far off places, portraits of friends along with family – Piltover's sheriff gracefully seated herself upon the sofa again. Next, with a simple toss of her hair over her shoulder, a blink of her hazel eyes, she gulped the shot of wine she'd poured herself.

While the grand yet bitter beverage took its effect on her, the sheriff let out a slight gasp of relieving breath. Then, a bit against her will, she downed another gulp of the alcohol and was looking to do another when a part of her brain demanded she stop. She needed to stay in control of herself, not go overboard. Thus, almost by themselves, the sheriff's hands forced her to set aside the poison yet gleeful drink and with a partially content sigh to herself, she leaned back against her velvety seat while many a thing began to go through her head.

Truly feeling more tired than she'd ever been or could recall in her life, partially just wanting to sink into the floor to never be seen again as she had indulged in her adult beverage more than expected, Caitlyn took to aimlessly gazing around at her rather impressive office for no apparent reason. Soon enough, without reason either, she began to recall the memories, missions, days that had led up to this point; to where she was indeed sheriff, where she was within as well as in charge of the police headquarters, where her office that had practically served as her home since Jinx's arrival was decorated with articles, pictures, relics, décor, pieces of evidence, items, along with much more that dated from today to years in the past.

As a certain article on the front page of a newspaper set in a reinforced case that was bolted onto the wall to the left of her desk – on the respected "Piltover Seeker Weekly" – had said then in the past and stated today, it had been at fourteen years old that Caitlyn had set out into the lower streets of Piltover armed with only her family rifle and tracked down plus dealt with the exact muggers who had mugged her father. Then and there, with much concern yet encouragement from the many people in her life, Caitlyn's glorious career as a protector of Piltover had begun… and, soon enough, she had become head of the efforts in putting down organized crime; she'd become the sheriff.

From then on to tonight, the pondering sheriff in her office remembered she'd seen plenty during her successful but harsh line of work. Up to this moment, she'd won against impossible odds, learned from her few losses, put so many behind bars, dealt justice to corruption, established peace in her city, as well as made everyone she loved very proud of her. Especially her parents who were safely being watched over nowadays by police forces in a secluded area that only Caitlyn and her closest allies – her best of friends – knew of.

No, with how complicated the design of this plan in protecting the innocent was, not even Jinx with all of her surprises could hope to touch the sheriff's hidden parents or anyone else important to the structure of Piltover's future. Of course, every citizen of the City of Progress was important. Every life mattered. Nevertheless, if the city really wanted to survive the coming days, it needed its best investors, politicians, leaders, traders, scientists, and so on, to be able to recover when all of this dreadful Jinxing was finished.

So, on the day the south of Piltover had been evacuated and the north was subjected to terror instead, those important people required for the recovery efforts in the future had been relocated elsewhere in secret. And when the time came where the Loose Cannon was no longer loose, those certain influential people would then be allowed to return to their homes as well as begin taking charge of their professions again.

And as for whom else knew of where every important figure of the City of Progress was being safely hidden away out of the Loose Cannon's mad sight, they were, again, few in number. They had been actually personally handpicked by Caitlyn and the majority of them were or had been her closest companions in life.

Firstly, naturally, there had been Vi who had eagerly accepted the chance to defend Caitlyn's parents along with others from Jinx's mayhem; not through her fists but through silence, observation, understanding. Then, secondly as well as thirdly, Jayce and Ezreal had agreed to help the sheriff when she requested their aid in protecting the location of Piltover's important folk. And fourthly… wait, Caitlyn had chosen a forth to aid her in protecting the influential people of Piltover?

Yeah, actually, the sheriff had indeed chosen a fourth contact during the relocation efforts. Yet, who had it been? Why was she remembering it now? More importantly, how could she have forgotten?

Well, that was because the fourth individual/best friend she had picked to help her protect what was important to Piltover's coming days… he was a very old part of her past; a part she never thought she would need to go back to for anything because she had had control over Piltover until Jinx had done her best to blow it sky high for the last thirty days.

"August… August Cousitarian." Caitlyn mumbled to herself without thinking and then covered her mouth in shock, knowing she'd just voice the name of the fourth contact plus best yet isolated friend she'd included in keeping her parents along with others hidden from harm, "I chose him, didn't I? Yes, I chose Vi, Jayce, Ezreal… and I also chose, even if he didn't want me to, August in case of a serious emergency."

At the mention of this August character, at the moment she'd begun thinking of why she'd chosen him to help her, Piltover's sheriff involuntarily but contently found herself pulling up a certain floorboard located just right of one of her sofa's legs. From that secret spot, knowing she hadn't touched this floorboard for many a month, she drew out a most weathered elm box covered in dust, a web or two, along with scars. Yet, where the container looked a bit worse for ware, its air tightened contents of random aged files, pictures, miniscule objects, and even a golden card labeled "C", were in the same mint condition they'd been in when put inside however long ago.

It was while Caitlyn looked over the yellow "C" card that she began recalling bits of her earlier days when she'd been younger, when she'd been learning to become sheriff, when she was still capable of making mistakes around the bad guys. Yet, it hadn't been until she was called upon by the righteous west kingdom of "Demacia" – where the golden "Jarvan" lineage had ruled for centuries to nowadays – that Caitlyn had actually found a truer challenge in her exciting life; a worthy adversary who could match or even outdo her in wit, skill, along with surprises.

Countless times, the sheriff knew she had come so very close to catching this villain for Demacia; this villain who always mockingly left behind a card with an ornate C upon its face at every crime scene. At the same time though, really only known to her and having been kept hushed up by those few slightly involved with the story of that certain night, it had been when Caitlyn had been outdone once more by her C card foe in a warehouse late at night that she hadn't been the only one… for when she had reached down to pick up the left behind card to add to her increasing pile, a booted foot gently but precisely placed itself upon her gloved hand from the dark!

Instantly in turn, seeing her try for her rifle strapped over her shoulder when her hand was trapped, a strong hand had gripped the future sheriff by the back of her neck.

"That card you've got there… That'll be mine, miss. Release it." Caitlyn had heard her assaulter state firmly then, his boot along with hand grip keeping her awkwardly pinned all the time, "It's clear that, for the longest time, we both may have been on the same case's trail here. We're aiming to do the same thing, finish this race as well as the rat who's making us run. Yet, I need every scrap of evidence I can get, you see. I admit that that is indeed a pretty card, almost as pretty as you, yet I can't have anyone distracting me from – UNGH!"

On that night, with the symbolic C card along with keeping one's dignity as the prize, Caitlyn had done everything in her power to not only free herself but even capture whoever had had the nerve to think he had the upper hand on her!

Speaking of hands on anything, in a matter of a blink of the eye in that warehouse, the sheriff had wrenched her foe's hand off of the back of her neck, elbowed or nearly elbowed him in his privates – there was no honor when fighting criminals so why bother feeling sorry about it – and then managed to shove him off of her so that she then had both of her hands freed, loaded her rifle, as well as then aiming at a rather casual young man who showed off dirty brown hair, sapphire eyes, as well as a very impressed expression.

"Wow. A pretty face not to mention enthusiast on self-defense?" The young man or August Cousitarian had chuckled that night while massaging the place he'd been elbowed, having epically just met Caitlyn for the very first time, "You have no idea how hard it is to find a, well, young lady like that anywhere in Runeterra. Even here in Demacia, even though they like to say they are, the maids wouldn't know independence if it smacked them in the face. Well done in fending me off, miss. Very well done."

It had been then on that night in the warehouse, even though few knew about it and fewer had permission to speak of it, that the solo mission to find the culprit who left behind C cards became a duo mission. Caitlyn as well as August, for their own good as well as honest reasons and even though they had started off a bit rough, found they could do more, fight better, along with chase their elusive card dealing adversary if they did so as powerful partners, not as bitter rivals.

Together, for some time to come, being intellectual, strong, swift, honorable equals in their line of work, Caitlyn and August easily earned recognition, accomplished miraculous feats, foiled heists, captured criminals, dealt justice far as well as wide, and one even went on to become the Sheriff of Piltover whom took to looking over her peaceful city… while the other faded into the passages of time in places unknown.

Indeed, on the day she'd been given the honor of being sheriff of the City of Progress, Caitlyn's fantastic partnership with August had been… unknowingly not to mention sadly dismissed as had her days of chasing after the ghost like card leaving suspect entitled "C". Well, concerning her newest duties as a leader of her city, Caitlyn hadn't the time for that certain mission and August understood. If anything, he had worked harder than ever then to accomplish it for them both.

Of course, in the beginning, seeing as they had been the best of friends if not subtle enforcers of the law across Runeterra for the longest time, the two of them had happily remained in touch. However, as the days passed, as the seasons rotated, as the years came as well as went, August became more and more… isolate. Or had it been the other way around? Had it been Caitlyn who had gotten caught up in being sheriff, in protecting her city, in leaving her earlier days behind?

One way or the other, it wasn't until Vi had actually joined Piltover's finest – that she had become Caitlyn's actual partner – that August just kind of fell off the face of the world. And it wasn't until a crisis as big as Jinx happened that caused him to return for a moment to see how things were holding up in dear old Piltover. Perhaps he could be of… some assistance?

Obviously, when he came forward from the unknown to see what was going on, Caitlyn hadn't needed to tell August that Jinx had made a hectic mess of the formerly grand City of Progress. All he had had to do before reaching the police headquarters was look around at the uncertain depression to get that answer to that inquiry. Nevertheless, even though having been isolated while working to still catch the C fellow who had been eluding him for so very long, August had shown he had been a bit worried for his former partner by recently coming to see how she was holding up… and then he showed he cared about her even more when he agreed to be a secret contact – her fourth contact – for her hidden parents.

Even though Caitlyn had given up on her former mission of catching the card leaving C, even though she had left him behind to be sheriff over Piltover, it appeared that August hadn't completely left her side. In a sense, even though quite unpredictable now, he was still at the ready to help those in need, to keep others safe, to answer his former partner's calling.

How very… loyal of him. How very, um, romantic?

Boy, that yordle gift wine was working fast on Caitlyn wasn't it? All she could ponder over wasn't on how to handle Jinx tomorrow; it was about her past, past, and more past. Heh, here she was literally thinking of making up with Vi tonight one moment, going to capture the Loose Cannon the next, and now she was thinking of an old friend/partner being loyal to her when she hadn't been that loyal to him.

Meh, it had to be clear by now that the uptight sheriff didn't usually partake in drinking like Vi did or was doing at who knew where. And being a lightweight about adult beverages wasn't such a bad thing. Yeah, whenever they went out, Caitlyn usually was the one that had to control the tipsy steel fisted enforcer when things got a bit too hectic. She was Vi's yin or yang or whatever balance there was to be had between them.

Anyway, rubbing her dreary face in her softer than soft hands, the sheriff went about putting away the things she'd gotten out since she'd begun sipping her personal store of wine.

Back in the bottom desk drawer the yordle gift beverage was replaced. Into the secret floorboard, the items relating to elusive card dealer C and distant August Cousitarian were put back… but not before Caitlyn noticed a piece of old parchment amid the items. And upon that piece of parchment, expertly drawn out in a lightly faded black-white sketch, was herself in a citizen's get up – not her sheriff outfit – leaning up against August as they were seated together in what looked to be an open area of grass?

Where had this been done? When had it been done? Judging by the happiness they showed off in the sketch, had Caitlyn and August been THAT close before they had dismissed each other to pursue what they thought was more important today?

My, how time flew by… and how easily it made people forget about things. Especially the good things.

Perhaps… perhaps Caitlyn should sit down at her desk, get out the number she knew was August's and tell him to get his ass over to her office to join in on the fight against Jinx? Not only that but catching up with him, learning about where he'd been, hearing what he'd been up to, would be a nice change of pace for the always pressured sheriff, wouldn't it?

Yet, as Caitlyn decided getting back in touch with a very old friend was a good idea to follow through, she froze in her actions when she heard her office door be knocked on. In turn, a most uncertain voice requested through it, "Uh, um, sheriff? You there? If you would permit me, may I come in, please?"

* * *

_**End of the "The Stormy Starting Point"…**_


	2. Phantoms of the Past, the Crows Come

**C****hapter Two: "Phantoms of the Past, the Crows Come"**

"_Heh, let Jinx run free for a while longer. I would not keep her from having her fun. In the meantime, it'll give dear Caitlyn something to think about. Soon enough, the crows will come. And when she sees our black wings descending upon her supposedly safe City of Progress, she'll know she chose wrong then those few years ago… She'll know she should have remained focused on me, like her former partner, rather than decided I was not a real threat to her."_** – Unknown Speaker**

* * *

"Sheriff Caitlyn? Uh, um, if you are there, may I come in?"

"AH, hm, what?" Caitlyn gasped aloud while dropping the rest of her personal things into the secret floorboard, her heart leaping up into her throat when someone requested her attention from the door so suddenly, "Yes? Yes, what is it? Come on in."

"No, perhaps I shouldn't." The male guest replied, sounding quite unsure of himself when he noticed the obvious rush in her words, "What with you obviously on the floor and having had that fight with Vi earlier, I should have known this would be a bad time to-"

"Oh, knock that off, Hector! That's an order!" Caitlyn cheerily laughed when finally having hidden her stuff, gotten to her feet to brush herself off, and realized her guest was the timid yet good hearted uniformed rookie, "Hector Vail", "Get in here! Don't worry, I'm not like Vi. You know I don't just smash anyone or anything that comes into my quarters unannounced. Wait, what is that you've got?"

"A bit of encouragement from the rest of your forces to you, sheriff." Hector coolly responded to his superior's question, holding out the generous bottle of ruby red grape wine he had been holding in the crook of his left arm, "We have a second ready for Vi as well when the time is appropriate. Um, of course, you're going to ask why you're getting this. Well, it's simple. We here at the headquarters couldn't help but hear you and Vi go at it earlier and we just wanted to reassure you that we, your city too, knows you two – all of Piltover's Finest – are trying your absolute hardest in putting an end to who you, we, have come to call the Loose Cannon."

"This is from everyone?" Caitlyn wondered aloud when handed the wine by Hector, taking immediate notice that his uniform was drenched with rainwater, "You mean to say you and the others put together this gift… and you, Hector, got soaked by the rain to go get this for me and another for Vi?"

"Indeed, yes. Yet, it was my absolute pleasure in doing so." Hector replied, a smile coming over him when seeing his sheriff begin to grin too at comprehending his antics of having gone down to the local store despite the thunderstorm in progress, "Also, a side note, we all here thank you for not letting Vi smash the headquarters apart. Thanks for just having her shout, not make the roof collapse on all of our heads."

"Bah ha ha! I understand that Vi has had her unpredictable moments but I highly doubt she'd go as far as begin punching up our headquarters, Hector." Piltover's sheriff giggled, feeling a bit sad but happily so that she had just enjoyed the yordle wine rather than waited for this surprise gift to arrive, "She'd never allow herself to go as far as to really hurt her friends with her anger. And speaking of her anger, she won't be so angry anymore when she sees that you all have gotten her such a grand brand of wine as mine here. Truly, she'll be grateful if not relieved when you present it to her."

"I am very happy to hear that, sheriff." Hector replied, showing another bright smile once more, "The others will be happy to hear it too. We just wanted to let you and Vi know that we've always appreciated all of your hard work. Don't ever question that."

"You don't know how much that helps me to hear that, Hector." Caitlyn chimed, actually ignoring the warnings in her fuzzy head as she went to open her newest bottle of adult goodness, "Here, have a seat with me, actually. We'll enjoy this together. Then we'll share it with everyone else in the headquarters."

"That beverage is meant only for you, ma'am." Hector stated, looking quite unsure as he looked to actually leave the office, "The others want you have to that for yourself. They put together their money to let you enjoy that yourself and not have-"

"Am I the law around here or not?" Caitlyn jokingly yet firmly demanded of the nervous rookie, drawing out several shot glasses while also seriously pointing for Hector to not take another step away but forward to her desk, "Don't you leave! Get back here! Sit! Enjoy this with me! That's an order!"

"And if I don't comply, sheriff?" Hector joked, daring to leave for a moment before returning to quickly sit before his grinning sheriff with a tentative chuckle, "You know what? Don't answer that please. I'd rather enjoy this drink at your orders rather than, uh, clean the holding cells for the next week, right?"

"Heh, that's right." Piltover's sheriff remarked brightly to the rookie, passing him a shot glass before they both downed their wine with much laughing, "And everyone else will join me in this drink or they'll look forward to sweeping, cleaning, and organizing the holding cells instead. No excuses! All will drink with me! They'll drink, they'll laugh, they'll have a good time!"

"They'll drink to your continued health and partnership with Vi, will they not?" Hector wondered, accepting another shot glass of wine from his happy superior, "Is that not worthy of a drink or two?"

"It's very worthy, if I may say so myself." The sheriff chimed with a wink, laying back in her comfortable desk chair where she lifted her stocking covered feet to set them crossed over one another on her desk, "Thank you, Hector. You and the others have just done a very good job in making my rather mucky night… a better one."

"I serve Piltover the best way I can. On that, I swore while taking my honorable day of oaths." Hector responded, not ever stopping smiling as he set his own shot glass back onto his superior's desk, "And on this particular night, the best way to serve Piltover is to help the sheriff see the way, right?"

This rather heart felt explanation of helping the City of Progress by helping its sheriff honestly took Caitlyn off guard. As she gave the rookie – a finer than fine young man with black hair, topaz eyes, a finely toned body adorned in the traditionally blue Piltoverian police outfit, plus an obviously optimistic attitude that would get him far in not only his career but in life too – the sheriff couldn't help but think of whom Hector Vail really was in reality.

Since he had joined the forces several months ago, Hector had shown a potential for the field. He was indeed handsome for the ladies to look at, the kindest type of family man, quite young for a recruit, but a promising figure amid his fellow newbies. His records while in action before Jinx's reign of terror showed he had been brave, wise, an inspiration to the young as well as old for citizens and police alike.

And now, clearly, as he got a bit more comfortable in his own seat before her desk, it seemed he knew just what to do and say during the worst of worst times for the sheriff. Not only that but since the dangers of the Loose Cannon had come, his performance, his reputation, his progress towards promotion, had not slowed at all. They had, quite fortunately, only intensified.

It was obvious that no matter the dread it faced, Piltover would not fall nor continue to suffer at the hands of Jinx. Sure, there was the city's finest on the case of putting the blue haired terrorist behind bars but with figures like Hector here – with men and women who were willing to go beyond the call of duty when called into the fray – the future didn't so dim. It seemed quite bright, in fact.

"I thank you for worrying about me and Vi, Hector. Yet, it is not required." Caitlyn admitted while glancing backwards towards the stormy outside world, feeling more content than she'd felt in a long while, "It is indeed a good theory that to care for Piltover's sheriff is a good way to secure the city's future. However, you are also an important part of the city, you know. You may only think of yourself as a recruit of the police force but you are still part of the police. And when you are part of the police of Piltover, you are more than a man or woman. You, like me, are a guardian yourself."

"Well, that may be true, sheriff… but amongst us all here, you are the best of guardians for this city then. You cannot argue that. You just can't."

"I can and I will." Caitlyn replied, feeling humbled not to mention a bit embarrassed by Hector's tender words, "I may be sheriff but I have my faults as does Vi. She and I may be strong but without good souls like you, Hector, like those in the headquarters here, this city would have fallen a long time ago. Only together are we strong. Only united together do we make the best of guardians."

"Only together are we at our best, hm?" Hector repeated, rubbing his cleanly shaven chin in the meantime, "Then, if that's true, if you will permit me to ask, sheriff… why did you abandon August for Vi those few years ago?"

August? Vi? Abandon? Wait, what?

Had Caitlyn just heard her recruit correctly? Had Hector from nowhere really just said the name of the sheriff's isolate if not secret former partner? Had he wondered why she'd supposedly _abandoned_ August for Vi even though that hadn't been the case at all? No, this couldn't be… this was crazy to even imagine. How could Hector know about… that? He didn't. He couldn't.

Yet, as the strangest of sensations began to make her vision blur, her body not respond, her balance of gravity go all out of order, Caitlyn couldn't ignore the obvious as Hector went on interrogating her with a most stern expression across his formerly encouraging face; the recruit knew of her past. He had clearly shown that he was somehow aware of some well protected information that not even Vi had been told quite yet.

"Why did you give up on August, on your past, and take to chasing the insignificant with that steel fisted hag rather than deal with the real situation, sheriff?" Hector wondered of Piltover's sheriff as she tried not to slide out of her armchair, her bulging eyes looking around as if not knowing what they were looking at, "Why did you abandon your former partner in dealing justice to grow soft watching over this little city of clockwork, steam, and so called progress? Why did you give up on this?"

Onto struggling Caitlyn's desk, Hector next threw a file of new paperwork, pictures, all topped off with a golden card that had a "C" upon it as well as a separate symbolic envelope with a jeering crow plus inky feather. At this, at seeing the yellow card of her and August's most frustrating nemesis, the sheriff lashed out with her numbing hands to attempt to look over everything Hector had just revealed.

Ignoring the fact that she'd obviously been drugged by something in the red wine – no wonder Hector had insisted earlier that she enjoy it herself – not paying any heed that the rookie wasn't being effected in the slightest, intent on truly finding out what was going on, Caitlyn did indeed grab onto the newly shown files… but not without collapsing upon the hardwood floor in the process!

In a mess of scattered papers, of pictures, the sheriff struggled with what remaining yet drained strength she had in looking over the information blank Hector had just given to her. As she did so, unnoticed by her, an enormous black crow landed upon the outside windowsill behind her desk to shake the pounding rainwater off of its inky plumage.

At seeing the ominous bird roosted outside, Hector purposefully reached into his uniform to produce a most odd yet recognizable object before his struggling sheriff's eyes; a small, tin made circus monkey toy that – when cranked up by a crank in its back – began to eerily spang the cymbals in its hands together.

"H-Hector… Ungh…" Caitlyn gasped out as the ominous tin monkey clanged away, pushing herself up into a sitting position against the nearby wall with most of the recruit's produced files in her lap, "Where did you… get that toy? Where did you… get these files? Where have you… been?"

"I've been through the most terrible of things and have come to show you that it is only there because you decided to give up on your unfinished past, sheriff." Hector replied in the middle of downing repeated shots of the tampered red wine, taking in deep breaths as his body color seemed to brighten up, "You see all things catch back up to us. In your case, at one point in time, you had a choice that concerned that yellow card in your hands."

At this, the rookie of Piltover's forces sharply gestured to the present yellow C card Caitlyn was all too familiar with before resuming drinking, "But instead of pursuing the owner of that card like a certain other has done for too long, you let it go. You decided to become a sheriff when you hadn't even finished the most important of jobs and now…"

Hector blankly gazed towards the crow outside, a most hopeless gleam glinting in her once happy eyes, "Now me, this city, everyone and everything everywhere is going to suffer for it. And Jinx is just the start. That Loose Cannon of yours, that golden card dealer… they're your past coming to catch back up with you, sheriff. And your past is going to cost us all a lot of things."

What was this madness? What was Hector spewing? Why had he turned so abruptly cold when he had always been so kind, so gentle, so compassionate? What did he mean be the past was coming back to catch up with huffing Caitlyn? Jinx was more than enough trouble to handle nowadays but where had all of this craziness – especially from the innocent yet not so innocent rookie of all people – suddenly come from?

So many questions… without the proper answers. Answers that weren't provided by Hector when Caitlyn, through her growing illness from the wine, began to try her hardest speak to him.

"H-Hector… I didn't give up on… on anything." The sheriff groaned out in a cough, trying to remain awake as her senses demanded she be taken into the hurting blackness overwhelming her, "I made this city…. I made it safe. I-I've been helping August in finding this dealer of golden cards all the while. D-don't do this. Help me. Tell me who has put you up to this. Tell me how he or she or whoever got into your mind and-"

"Me help you?" Hector laughed, reaching into his pockets again to produce a hextech pistol next that made the sheriff's blood stop pumping for a moment, "Why would I help you when you can't even help yourself? When you can't help this city? You've grown soft, sheriff. Back in the day, back with August, you wouldn't have let yourself be reduced to… this. Your guard was always up, always ready for anything. Yet, here Jinx is running free, Vi is as dumb as ever, and you are suffering from whatever was in the drink here. Pathetic."

None of this… was making sense. There were mentions of August, of Vi, of Caitlyn's past, of the golden C card dealer, of Jinx, of Piltover's future being one of pain, and too much more for the sheriff's growingly hazy brain to piece together at the moment.

Nonetheless, although handicapped, Piltover's sheriff murmured, "Hector, I – I'm not… You know I'm not pathetic. I know that you know, ungh, the city hasn't been lost due to any course of action. Only together, not apart, can we… keep this city. Don't let yourself fall… out of grace. Don't become a criminal. Remember your, hngh, sworn oaths."

"Yes. Only together, not apart, can we win this city back." Hector agreed, checking over his pistol while putting a silencer on it and taking notice of the crow as it departed from the window into the heavily falling rain, "Yeah, I know my oaths, sheriff. I also know my oaths won't matter in the days to come. It's too late for any of that anymore.

"Hector… you don't mean that-"

"Sheriff, we're done here. Save your breath. It's not my loyalty you need to win back to save this decaying place, to keep your past from destroying everything… It's August's."

"August… no one knows him… How would you know about him…?"

"Because _HE_ who delivers those told me himself." Hector stated, gesturing to the golden C card in Caitlyn's limp lap and meaning the master of the symbolic item, "You really are more than lost, sheriff. You need to get back on track of what you left behind and to do that, I'm revealing this stuff to you. I'm helping you, the sheriff, the guardians of guardians of this city, so that you can help Piltover. Only through you will all of this chaos, this Jinxing, cease."

"T-then, if I am to make a difference… why am I so incapacitated? What did you… put in the wine…?"

"Whatever was in the wine wasn't my doing, ma'am. I guess, somehow, through the miracles or curses of science, it was meant for you only… and as for me, ahem, I've done my part. All accept one more thing, anyway."

Suddenly, the hextech pistol was against Hector's temple and before it went off, before the walls were painted with his cranium, he stated, "Just like I have, you need to stop dreaming and wake up, sheriff. Wake up already. The crows are coming… and I'm sorry but they won't let my sister or my mother go unless this was done."

"H-Hector, don't you pull that… trigger… That's an order… We can help your family from-"

"Hah, sheriff to the end, huh? That's good of you, ma'am." Hector actually chuckled, his senses dulled with the massive consumption of alcohol, "But there can be no more loose ends than those that have already been shown to you. For my loved ones that they have, I have to go. I pray you have the best of good luck in the coming days, ma'am. You have less than three minutes to make good use of what you've seen and heard here… what you're feeling now will be nothing compared to what's on the way."

Caitlyn didn't have the strength to avert her eyes when her recruit executed himself in front of her with a muffled gunshot to the head. Then, grunting, knowing she hadn't the energy to do anything but, the sheriff looked to call out for someone, anyone, a miracle, to come to her aid. Yet, she was so very heavy in both body and mind and, to her terror if not dread, she couldn't manage even a whimper past hector's formerly lively body. She couldn't even say anything past her dried lips.

There, in her corner, with the tin monkey clanging its cymbals together in front of lost Hector, the sheriff's so called bettered night had just clearly taken a nosedive from decent into total chaos. As her senses began to numb, as her heart slowed, as her eyes drooped while looking down at the golden card labeled C, her mind was faintly thinking of several things.

No, Caitlyn didn't remotely think of fear, of the end, of the approaching light at the end of the tunnel before her failing vision. Instead, if she could have – which she actually was in her own silent way – she would have openly wept like beforehand on the sofa at having met such an end filled with regrets; where her city was dying, her friends would have to go on without her, and she had somehow failed Hector so terribly that he had been forced to assume the role as the most horrific messenger of the golden C card user.

And then there was August Cousitarian… who needed to be contacted, to be involved, to be informed about all of this that Caitlyn had just been told!

What about Vi too? The enforcer needed to know Caitlyn hadn't meant anything that she had said earlier that night! To the sheriff, Vi was and would always be her best friend, family, a sister through more than just conflict, heroics, even blood! Not only that, if it even existed, Vi couldn't be given hero own red wine!

Yet, even with such desperate if not valiant thoughts where she wanted to make things right with those she loved before the end, Caitlyn could not overcome the truth of reality. Soon enough, with no one knowing about it, she had lost consciousness in her office while the minutes towards her unforeseen doom speedily approached.

* * *

"CAIT!" A drunkenly positive Vi suddenly laughed from out of nowhere next, slamming through the sheriff's sturdily locked office door with much dismayed uproar from the other nearby officers, "Hey, um, hic, cupcake, babe, sis, forgive me! You're the best! With all of my shouting and yelling, I was being the idiot earlier and can you tell me why the yordle crossed the road? Cait? Hey, cupcake, I – CAIT?! WHAT IN THE-"

Before the hazy eyed yet suddenly sobered up hextech handed enforcer of Piltover was a most unexpected sight that had just happened seconds before her actual arrival!

The sheriff of the City of Progress was down as was a recruit! There was blood everywhere but thankfully none seemed to have come from Caitlyn. No, sickly, the gore had all probably come from… what had formerly been Hector Vail's head.

By Piltover, what had happened here?! Why was Hector dead?! Why was Caitlyn unconscious?! How had this happened in the headquarters, in one of the most secure places in the City of Progress?!

As Vi – as gently as she could while trying to stay sober in the midst of being completely hammered – picked up her partner in her steely gauntlets, the enforcer found it terrifying to see how limp, how helpless, how lifeless the sheriff was being!

Caitlyn… she couldn't die! She just couldn't do that, just snuff out like some candle in the wind! Not after the brutal verbal exchange she as well as the now panicking enforcer had just recently had where they had basically told each other they were better off alone, not together! No, things couldn't end this way for the sheriff and enforcer! Reality couldn't be that cruel!

"Medic! Ugh, nurse! Doctor! Hey, everyone!" Vi emotionally screamed through her grogginess, looking to leave the office to seek medical attention for her unconscious and hopefully not deceased partner against crime, "Guys! I need someone with medical expertise in here quick! Cait is down! Cait is-"

While Vi went on shouting for someone to come aid her in seeing Caitlyn to medicine or some kind of treatment, the wound up tin monkey on the desk had ceased clanging its cymbals together. As it finished its obnoxious banging, a mechanism clicked inside of its chest that played a sinister yet carefree voice through its mouth that made Vi not only stop in her tracks but snarl.

From the monkey toy, with many eerie giggles, chimes, laughs, an actual recording of Jinx's voice rang out to be clearly heard.

"_Hi! Ha ha, you've reached Jinxy-Winxy, Pow-Pow, and Fishbones! Say hello, Fishbones! __**HELLO!**__ As crazy and sad as it is to believe, we're not available right now to have fun with you. Oh, don't cry Pow-Pow. You, whoever you are interrupting my own fun, leave us a message after the __**BOOM**__ and we'll join you when we, heh heh, can!"_

"I'll leave you a message, you freak!" Vi growled at the tin monkey, readying a fist to smash the thing into the ground, "Ever heard of the knuckle sandwich? It's my personal favorite and if you did this to Caitlyn, I swear you'll come to like it just as much as – Oh no… No, no, NO!"

Through the window behind Caitlyn's desk, through the rainy darkness, with much sparking, crackling, along with hissing, Piltover's hextech fisted enforcer saw something was rushing towards the office at breakneck speed!

Acting with actually precise swiftness despite she was mostly drunk, Vi seized the bloody body of Hector before leaping out of the office where everyone was trying to lecture her on her overdose in alcohol! Just behind the enforcer though, she didn't hear her lecturers. Only the window shatter, a loud squeal of metal go off, and then–

"Down! Everyone down now!" Vi roared to everyone near her before protecting her two packages – unaware Caitlyn and Hector's cold body – with her gauntlets when Piltover's sheriff's entire office fiercely exploded into flame, debris, along with smoke!

As Hector had said before recently removing himself from the equation, three minutes were now up. Caitlyn had avoided her most terrible demise of being blow apart due to Vi's convenient entrance… and now, hopefully, the medics could get into her bloodstream in time to spare her from losing her life to whatever she'd been drugged with. Hopefully.

* * *

"You made a most excellent shot, Jinx." A cloaked figure humorously acknowledged from the roof where he stood with the tittering Loose Cannon in the rain opposite of Caitlyn's now destroyed office, a large crow – the same Hector had seen before dying – roosted upon his soaked shoulder, "But not at all as effective as predicted, I'm afraid. The sheriff lives. Naughty, naughty, naughty."

"Augh, Fishbones!" Jinx vented at her rocket launcher next when told off by the cloaked stranger looking across the street through the scope of the barrel a long and sleek hextech sniper rifle, slapping the shark shaped weapon around as if she were really hurting it, "Useless! You're so useless! Bah!"

"I'm sorry!" Fishbones – deeply along with throatily voiced by Jinx herself out of the corner of her mouth – exclaimed while slapped, "I'm sorry I'm such a useless, terrible, unreliable, party pooper! Please forgive me! Please! No, wait, let me fire again!"

"Now, now, there's no reason for us to be so frustrated here and there's certainly no reason to fire off another missile." The cloaked figure acting as a roost for the crow explained to his blue haired, red eyed fellow as she went about doing her crazy business, "Truly, judging by our master's design, it is actually rather fortunate that the sheriff has lived… she will not only increase the speed of August's investigation but him seeing her so tormented will drive him onward with renewed vigor. Things are about to become very hectic in Piltover."

"They're about to become hectic?" Jinx wondered innocently, a look of childish confusion coming over her pale face and not at all showing she had an issue standing nearly naked in the cold storm's downpour in the meantime, "You mean I didn't make things hectic enough until now? Oh, poo!"

Sweeping around her to pat her rocket launcher's shark shaped head, the crow's enigmatic master keeping the sleek sniper rifle at his side insisted, "Heh, don't be so hard on yourself over nothing, Jinx. You have done very well. You know that. And to be honest Fishbones has not really failed us in anything. Thanks to him being something of a party crasher, things are about to become much more… fun for us."

"Really?!" Jinx exclaimed, her crimson eyes bulging and her smile widening into a leer at the mention of things maybe becoming more fun than they already were, "Then Fishbones did good? Fishbones made us proud? YAY! Yay, for Fishbones!"

"YAY!" Fishbones agreed with much clanking while Jinx mimicked his voice for him.

"Please, Jinx, lower your voice and come along with me." The cloaked figure insisted, lazily retreating from the place they had been at when firing off Fishbones into Caitlyn's office, "Yes, Fishbones and you has done good tonight. Yet, we have had our fun here. So, before she can come to ruin our playing around, let us leave this place before Vi catches on to our game."

"Why worry about that loser and her big loser hands?" Jinx chimed, skipping along through the rain behind her companion as he approached the nearest ledge leading off of the roof, "All she knows is how to break things, not save them. If anything, I want her to find me… She always has a way to make things way more fun!"

"I'm sorry to say it but we have had all of the fun we can have tonight." The master of the crow as well as holder of the sniper rifle chuckled back, turning to extend a hand – a gnarled, robotic, clawed hand – for the Loose Cannon to accept with something of a grimace, "But not to worry, little Jinx. The greatest fun is about to begin and it will involve not only this city but all of Runeterra itself. Just be patient."

"Patient? Pfffffft. That's no fun!" Jinx whined before assuming another mocking poise where she had her rocket launcher talk for her while she rather spoke in a deep voice again, "No, waiting is boring! Waiting is no FUN at all, silly! Mmf!"

"Aw, Fishbones! I wanted to say that!" Jinx lectured herself with a giggle, looking entertained all the same, "Shut your trap already and keep it shut!"

"Mmf!" Fishbones animatedly replied in a muffled grunt with Jinx pretending to hold its steely maw shut, "Mmf, hmf, murf, smurf, urf, urf, murf!"

"Good, Fishbones! Keep your mouth shut like that from now on!"

"You are the one who is being silly, silly." The cloaked holder of the sniper rifle chuckled, pulling Jinx closer to him as she finished her eager yet animated conversation with Fishbones, "Think about it… Our master is the one who has given us this opportunity to change history, who has given you all of your fun in Piltover here. Now, are you really willing to call him silly now that he wants to give you the world as a playground?"

"Well, duh, no." Jinx mocked, allowing her cloaked fellow to pull her into an embrace where she was finally protected from the rain under his cloak and allowed to even enjoy his warmth, "I'm just saying, heh, that waiting… it's SO hard sometimes! It's boring, you know!"

"YEAH! BORING – Mmf!"

"What did I just say, Fishbones?! Shut it!"

"The crows are coming, Jinx." The cloaked stranger stated, allowing the crow on his shoulder to take off into the rain with the Loose Cannon staying close to him, "They're nearly here as it is. And when they do arrive… you'll never get enough fun. You won't know where to stop, where to go, what to do with yourself. It'll only be fun, fun, and more fun for you, for the crows, for all of us. Now be silent and hold on. We must report back to our master that the plan has worked out a bit differently than planned. Not that that's bad, mind. Heh."

And then, as the lightning flashed and thunder roared from overhead, the Loose Cannon along with cloaked stranger she was hugging vanished from sight to parts unknown but them.

Next, finding shelter upon a nearby railing out of the rain coming down in torrents, the large crow that had signaled Hector to end his own life was all that was left to observe a group of wailing hextech automobiles arrive at Piltover's Police Headquarters to dowse the flames that were feeding upon Caitlyn's former office, to keep everything under control, and to help Piltover's unconscious sheriff stay alive so that she could do what needed to be or was expected to be done; contact her loyal yet isolate old time partner, August Cousitarian, about the sudden reemerging of golden card dealer C.

The past of Piltover's sheriff, whatever that might entail, had come back in the most unexpected ways. If one paid enough attention to them, the rainy gales were stirring with the powers of fate. What awaited everyone, everything in Runeterra in the future had begun to unravel; for the crows were coming. And it was known that where a crow appeared, that deity or force or power known as death soon followed or… was already there to greet it.

* * *

_**End of "Phantoms of the Past, the Crows Come"…**_


End file.
